Keeping the United States within NATO was made possible through a unanimous commitment to increased defense spending — and by flattering President Trump.
This view was shared in a comment with Ukrinform by Patrick Bolder, a strategic advisor and defense and security expert at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), a retired lieutenant colonel of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
“Being now eight months the Secretary General, as falling apart of NATO has probably been his main concern, and falling apart – through Trump’s unilateral actions – has indeed been a risk. So, keeping Trump on board was Rutter’s strategy. And he succeeded here in an excellent way. How? By reaching the unanimous pledge of extra defense spending. And by flattering the US President in ways which feel awkward to the European public, but seem to be effective in persuading Trump,” Bolder said.
He also noted that the summit communiqué was brief, and that the re-affirment of Article 5 seemed strange, since it is already a core part of the NATO treaty, which all members have joined.
“These few points where probably the most that could be reached with the US and again, the only reason it could be underwritten by all 32 member states. But now the real work begins in the NATO countries in gathering all finances and making sure that the pledge will be met. But I am afraid that the need of urgency – the Russian threat – is still badly understood by most,” the expert added.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the NATO summit in The Hague focused on three key issues: increasing defense spending, strengthening defense industrial capabilities within member states, and continuing support for Ukraine.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Bolder
Source: Expert: NATO’s top priority was keeping Trump on board
